Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 22:7
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
But thou shall in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee, etc.] Or “in letting go, let go”, or “in sending, send away” f345; that is, willingly, certainly, entirely, frequently, always; so the Jewish canons f346, “if anyone lets her go, and she returns, even four or five times, he is obliged to let her go, as it is said, “in letting go, let go”;” nay, Maimonides says f347, even a thousand times; the canon proceeds, “if anyone says, lo, I take the dam and let go the young, he is obliged to let her go; if he takes the young, and returns them again to the nest, and after that returns the dam to them, he is free from letting her go;” that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days; the Targum of Jonathan is, “that it may be well with thee in this world, and thou mayest prolong thy days in the world to come:” the same blessing that is promised to observers of the fifth command, which is one of the weightier matters of the law, is made to this; which the Jews say f348 is but as the value of a farthing, or of little account in comparison of others; wherefore, as Fagius rightly observes f349, God, in bestowing such rewards, has regard not to the works of men, but to his own grace and kindness; for what merit can there be in letting go or preserving the life of a little bird?
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